Building construction



se ta w 1924. 151mm W. D. MANN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 1, 1920 Patented Sept. 3%, 1924.

W ILLIAM D. MANN, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed November 1, 1920. Serial No. 420,954.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Building Constructions, of which the following s a full, clear, concise, and exact descript on, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to building constructions.

One of the ob'ects of the invention is to provide a simple and practical form of building construction.

Another object of the invention is to dispense or practically dispense with the use of lumber and wood in the construction of buildin s. I

Anot er'object of the invention is to dispense or practically dispense with the use of interior finish in buildings, such for example, as lath and plaster.

Another object of the invention 18 to reduce the amount of labor and material generally in building construction, and thereby greatly lessen the expense and time of construction.

Another object of the invention is to secure a practically or even absolute fireproof construction.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the number of kinds of building trades employed in building donstructions, and thereby lessen the friction between different building crafts and also lessen the delay incident to one craft waiting on another.

Another object of the invention is to secure the foregoing and other advantageous results in a simple and expeditious manner.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. is a vertical section of a portionof a building embodying my present invention Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of construction;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the construction shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of a larger portion of an interior wall; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a portion of an interior'wall such as shown in Fig.4.

Referring to the drawings I show in Fig. 1 a portion of a building involving a vertical outside wall 1, and a floor 2, one end of which abuts against the inside of the wall 1.

The wall 1 is shown as composed of a brick veneer consisting of bricks 3-3 forming the outside of the wall and an inner structure 4 forming the inside of the wall and separated from the brick veneer 1 by an air space 5.

The inner structure 4 consists of tiles or tile-like devices 6-6 laid one on top of another and fitted closely together. These tiles 66 are hollow as shown in Fig. 1, and in order to provide a snug and close fit, the upper and lower end portions are made in a mortise and tenon manner, so that the u per projecting end portion of one tile wi fit into the lower concave or socketed portion of the tile next above. The outer wall portion 7 of each tile is made with an exterior finish or strata of any desired material, preferably reasonably smooth. The inner wall portion 8 of each tile has its outer surface or strata finished so that it will serve as the interior wall finish of a building. This surface 8 may be made like plaster, either rough or smooth, and of any desired color or it may be made like stone or granite or marble; in fact any kind of interior finish may be produced as desired.

Thus the tiles 66 when assembled into a wall structure form an interior tile or wall portion and also form the interior finish of the building, be it a house or ofi'ice building or other structure. In this way the 'wall may be given the desirable brick veneer and tile construction. At the same time the necessity of lathing and plastering the wall is avoided, with all the advantage which that means, both in the reduction of cost of material and labor, in the saving of time and in the avoidance of dirt, rubbish and other annoyances. When the tiles 6-6 are laid the wall is finished and nothing more need be done to complete it. No mortar is needed between tiles,a small amount of liquid cement being applied with a brush if desired."

I have formed tiles of this sort in vari ous ways and out of various materials. Most of the tile materials now used will prove satisfactory, except that the surfaces forming the inner finished Walls of the building, which surfaces may be called the interior tile surfaces, must be made of a somewhat harder material than the usual tile materials and finished to form the interior finished wall surface as described.- The tiles may be cast of plaster, concrete or other materials, if desired.

The floor 2 is composed of tile-like members or devices 10-10, arranged and laid edge to edge so as to form a floor structure as shown in- Fig. 1. These members 101O arepreferably hollow and made with somewhat inclined sides so that spaces 11-11 are formed between successrve members, Concrete 12 ispreferably laid above the tiles 1016, filling the spaces 11-11 and also forming a concrete layer 13 above said tiles. The lower surfaces 14 of the tiles 10 form the ceilings of the rooms or apartments below the floor 2. To such end said surfaces 14 are made in the form of some desirable interior finish, such as either smooth or rough plaster, marble, granite or other material.

Thus when the floor consistin and concrete 12 is constructe the entire floor is finished and it is not necessary to do anything more to it, either to form the floor surface above or the ceiling below. The concrete 13: may serve as a concrete floor, being if desired iven some pattern or finish for a floor sur ace. The under side of the floor, consisting'of the tile surfaces 14 composes the finished'ceiling, so that it is not necessary to lath or plaster or do anything further to finish the ceiling of the room or apartment. This gives all the advantages previously mentioned in connection with the wall..

The floor 2 may be set up by placing it on a temporary wooden structure 1n accordance with the erection of arched masonry structures, and then the concrete 12 filled in and then the tem orary wooden structure removed. Prefera ly metal rods 16 are embedded in the concrete or cement 12 to give further strength.

As a preferred arrangement the tiles 7 immediately below the floor 2 are provided with inwardly extending cornices 17 which serve to support the adiacent tiles 10 and thereby lend support to the floor. These cornices 17 are formed as parts of the tiles and their surfaces 19 are finished suitably for an interior wall finish, either in accordance with the surfaces 8 or in some style 50 to harmonize with such surfaces 8.

As a further preferred arrangement the tiles 7 immediately above the floor 2 have their inner surfaces 8 projected further into the room so as to form a base or molding, and these surfaces 8 are of course finished either like the surfaces 8 or in some style to harmonize therewith.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I show a construction in which the outer wall is made of tiles 6 similar in a general way to the tiles 6, but having their exterior surfaces 20 made to form an exterior building wall, as for example, made of pebble-dash, imitation stone, stucco or something of the sort. These tiles 6' are also provided with supof the tiles plemental wall members 21 separated from the main portions by air spaces 22 but secured to said main portions by lugs or connecting members 23. These inner Wall portions 21 have their inner surfaces 24 made to form the interior finished Wall surface of a room, in the manner described in connection with the interior surfaces 8*. Thus a complete exterior wall may be formed of a s1ngle row of tiles such as 6, said tiles forming not only the exterior wall surface of the building, but also the interior finished wall surfaces of the rooms or apartments therein.

- In this construction the tiles are referably provided with end spaces whic are filled with cement or concrete 25 and rods 26 are preferably embedded in said concrete to add further strength.

In Fig. 4 .I show a portion of a building wall containing a door. In this arrangement tiles 6-6' are shown and a door frame 27 is also shown provided with a door 28 hinged at 29. The door frame 27 is preferably made of metal and filled with concrete 30, and the door 28 may be of either metal or wood. The door frame 27 has socketed sides 30-30 of such size that the tiles 6'-6' fit snugly therein, the flanges 3131 covering edge portions of the adjacent tiles. 7

These door frames 27 being preferably of metal cooperate in the fireproof nature of the construction and at the same time may be in a finished condition so that all that 10.

is necessary will be to set them u They will be set up first and then the t es fitted in and to them. If the doors 28 are made of metal they will simply be hinged in sition in the door frames, for 'it is possi le 1 to finish them also either with paint or stain before they are put in position. If such doors are made of wood it may be necessary to paint or stain them after they are hung, to which end the services of a 11 painter for this limited amount of work ma be required.

t will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departin from the spirit of the invention.

' at I claim is:

L'A building structure composed of hollow wall and cor tile blocks, the exposed portions of the same (comprising the ceilin portion of the floor blocks and both si es of the wall blocks) simulating and having the qualities of the surface appropriate thereto, the blocks being hollow and laid so that one block is provided in the depth of wall or floor.

2. A buildin structure composed of hol low wall and cor tile blocks, the exposed portions of the same (comprising the ceiling portion of the floor blocks and both sides of the wall blocks) simulating and I having the qualities of the surface appropriate thereto, the blocks being hollow and laid so that one block is provided in the depth of wall or floor, and the wall blocks beirg of structural material carrying the loa 3. A building structure composed of hollow wall and floor tile blocks, the exposed portions of the same (comprising the ceiling portion of the floor blocks and both sides of the wall blocks) simulating and having the qualities of the surface appropriate thereto, the blocks being hollow and laid so that one block is provided in the depth of wall or floor, said wall blocks also having inwardly projecting moulding portions acting to support the floor blocks.

4. A bui ding structure composed of hollow wall and floor tile blocks, the exposed portions of the same (comprising the ceiling portion of the floor blocks and both sides of the wall blocks) simulating and having the qualities of the surface appropriate thereto, the blocks being hollow and laid so that one block is provided in the depth of wall or floor, said wall blocks also having inwardly projecting moulding portions acting to support the floor blocks and wash-board trim above the floor.

5. A building structure composed of hollow wall and floor tile blocks, the exposed portions of the same (comprising the ceilin port-ion of the floor blocks and both si es of the wall blocks) simulating and having the qualities of the surface appropriate thereto, the blocks being hollow and laid so'that one block is provided in the depth of wall or floor, and a concrete floor above the floor blocks and from which the floor blocks are suspended.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of October, A. D.,

M 1 D. MANN. 

